The controversy surrounding the penalty initially awarded and then sensationally overturned in Fiorentina vs Juventus continues to stir anger and debate. Questions about referees’ understanding of game situations — particularly those involving physical duels in the box — remain at the centre of discussion.
Among those to voice a strong opinion is former striker Aldo Serena, who openly criticised the decision to revoke Dusan Vlahović’s penalty.
“Mari Ignored the Ball and Targeted the Man”
Serena analysed (as quoted by JuventusNews24) the sequence by focusing on the initial moment of contact between Fiorentina defender Pablo Marí and Juventus forward Dusan Vlahović. According to the former Italy international, the first foul — and therefore the main responsibility — lay with Marí, who, in his view, “completely disregarded the ball and focused only on stopping the opponent.”
This initial infringement, said Serena, was the detail that made referee Daniele Doveri’s eventual decision to cancel the penalty all the more questionable.
On his X account, the ex-Inter and Milan forward shared a blunt message about the incident:
“For me, the first intention matters. Pablo Marí shows no interest in the ball and goes straight for Vlahović to stop him. Then the holding starts almost at the same time, with Vlahović trying to defend himself by doing the same. Have they ever played football? Even just at a five-a-side pitch?”
